New Delhi: The arrest of Sharmistha Panoli, a 22-year-old regulation pupil and influencer, has invited criticism from varied quarters. However, for the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) in West Bengal it has had one other unintended consequence—bringing leaders of the Congress and Bharatiya Janata Occasion (BJP) on the identical web page, not less than on this challenge.
Sharmistha was arrested by Kolkata police from Haryana’s Gurugram Friday night time in reference to an FIR lodged at Kolkata’s Backyard Attain police station final month over an Instagram video on Operation Sindoor during which she made alleged controversial remarks on Prophet Muhammad.
She subsequently deleted the video and issued an apology on 15 Could, however the Kolkata Police took her into custody saying she and her household “absconded” and makes an attempt to serve notices to look for questioning weren’t profitable. On Saturday, Sharmistha was produced earlier than the Alipore Court docket in Kolkata, which remanded her in judicial custody or 14 days.
What has now additional drawn consideration to the case is the remark of Dutch politician Geert Wilders, who referred to as the motion a “shame for freedom of speech” and urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene for Sharmistha’s launch. Wilders is a pacesetter of the far-right Occasion for Freedom.
“Free the courageous Sharmishta Panoli! It’s a shame for the liberty of speech that she was arrested. Don’t punish her for talking the reality about Pakistan and Muhammad. Assist her @narendramodi,” Wilders mentioned in a put up on ‘X’.
Congress MP Karti Chidambaram referred to as the arrest “a blatant misuse of police powers,” including on X: “These interstate arrests for social media posts (except it’s clearly demonstrated that it has led to a regulation and order state of affairs) is blatantly a misuse of police powers.”
BJP chief Suvendu Adhikari accused West Bengal’s ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) of concentrating on Hindu voices selectively. “Mamata Banerjee – ‘Maha Kumbh is Mrityu Kumbh’. ‘Jai Shree Ram is insulting abusive cuss phrase, hurled in direction of her.’ No authorized motion. Mahua Moitra – ‘Kali to me is a meat-eating, alcohol-accepting Goddess,’ No authorized motion… (sic),” he mentioned on ‘X’.
Sharmistha, he mentioned, made a private remark in wake of the Pahalgam terrorist assault the place Hindus had been “focused selectively,” which she later deleted and apologized for, “but was arrested by Kolkata Police from Gurgaon.”
“Motion is barely taken in opposition to Sanatanis,” he claimed.
The Hindu lady, based on BJP’s IT cell head Amit Malviya, was arrested to “appease a vote financial institution.” “This isn’t nearly Bengal — that is about how a younger Hindu lady is being focused to appease a vote financial institution… Justice should not be politically handy.”
Actor and BJP MP Kangana Ranaut wrote on Instagram that the Pune Regulation College pupil’s apology ought to have been sufficient. “She needs to be launched instantly.”
Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan mentioned, “The place is the outrage when our religion known as ‘Gandha Dharm’? The place is their apology? The place is their swift arrest?”
After which there are the likes of Samajwadi Occasion MLA Abu Azmi who’ve demanded stricter legal guidelines to penalise spiritual hate speech. “A regulation needs to be formulated in opposition to such individuals which supplies a punishment of not less than 10 years,” he mentioned.
The controversy started on Could 14 when AIMIM spokesperson Waris Pathan flagged a video during which Sharmistha allegedly used derogatory language in response to a consumer defending Pakistan.
On its half, the Kolkata Police defended the arrest of the social media influencer. “All authorized procedures had been duly adhered to. All makes an attempt had been made to serve discover, however she was discovered absconding. A warrant was issued by a reliable court docket, following which she was apprehended lawfully,” it mentioned.
Sharmistha faces critical costs below the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, together with Part 196(1)(a) for selling enmity between teams primarily based on faith, Part 299 for deliberate acts to outrage spiritual emotions, Part 352 for intentional insult to impress breach of peace, and Part 353(1)(c) for inciting public mischief.
(Edited by Tony Rai)
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